Drakes Hotel

Rooms

There are 20 rooms over four floors. Most feature bold reds and blues, with wood panelling and velvet armchairs. Categories range from Good to Best. If it’s the sea view you’re after, choose Great or above.

The Best room is on the first floor, with high ceilings, a large bay window and bathtub, chaise lounge and even a brass telescope for admiring the seaside and pier views. Marvellous rooms are some of the larger rooms, all with big windows looking out to sea. We stayed in a Marvellous room on the third floor, which is apparently Kylie’s favourite, and loved lounging about in our super-comfy super-kingsize bed (though annoyingly our pillows kept falling off the back due to the curved wall). Great rooms are generally a little smaller, but some are on the top floor and have their own private terraces; most have free-standing baths. Better rooms have city views and generous bathrooms, while Good rooms are the smallest, with city views and double beds, though some still host a freestanding bath.

Each room comes with luxurious Green & Spring bath and body products. Note that rooms don’t have minibars or fridges, and most also don’t have wardrobes. We’ve heard rooms 1 and 2 can get a little noisy as they are on the ground floor, so best to stay upstairs if you can.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobes
• Central heating
• Coffee / tea making
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

Downstairs is Dilsk restaurant, where relaxed fine dining focuses on sustainable food. Within its first year of opening, it’s been touted as one of Brighton's best restaurants, so you’re in for a treat. Food is inspired by the south coast, with produce sourced from in and around East Sussex. Tasting menus come in shorter or fuller options, and there's a set lunch menu. You might get oyster with trout roe and radish, pork with sunflower and artichoke, then chocolate with smoked rapeseed, almond and cherry. A wine pairing and non-alcoholic pairing are available.

Sadly the restaurant closes for lunch and dinner on Sundays and some Mondays, so we couldn’t try it for ourselves. But there are other good options nearby - head to Embers for a Sunday roast. Staff are on hand to help with restaurant recommendations in the area to suit any budget.

In the reception area there's a cocktail bar with sea views and an extensive menu of pre-dinner tipples. Start your evenings here, then head off into lively Brighton for the next round.

Breakfast (costs extra) is served daily in the restaurant, or you can do as we did and opt to have it in your room - we just weren’t quite ready to tear ourselves away from those views! Choose from yoghurt and granola, croissants or toast to start, then the usual suspects to follow; we tucked into a full english and an eggs royale, chowing it down in bed while taking in the morning sun and watching locals on their early beach walks - bliss.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Stroll along the beach, taking in the pier and the grand promenade. Head towards Hove to see the charred, atmospheric ruin of West Pier, or towards Kemptown for beach volleyball and crazy golf
  
• Have a look around majestic Brighton Pavilion, an 18th-century former royal residence built in elegant Indo-Saracenic style, then pause in the gardens afterwards for a picnic
  
• The boutique shopping scene here is excellent; head to the North Laine for vintage finds, or the South Lanes for jewellers and homewares
  
• If the rains come, get a dose of culture at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery or Hove Museum & Art Gallery
  
• For evening entertainment, check out the schedule at Komedia, a comedy club in the North Laine with a packed programme throughout the year, including music and cabaret
  
• Brighton has an eclectic music scene; tour its record shops, then catch bands at Green Door Store or Concorde 2
  
• Get out of the city for the day and discover the beautiful green spaces of the South Downs. Devil's Dyke is just a few miles out of town and has stunning panoramas

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Beach volleyball
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets

Kids

Although all ages are welcome, Drakes has a grown-up atmosphere and feels more like a place for a romantic city break. Baby cots are available free of charge, and there are blow-up beds for under 12s, but no specific family-friendly rooms, and no kids' menu at the restaurant (though smaller portions can be accommodated with notice).

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Drakes Hotel is on the seafront in Brighton, overlooking the famous pier, in the southeast of England, It's approximately 1.5 hours from London.

By Rail:
We recommend taking the train. The hotel is a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute taxi ride from Brighton railway station. The fast trains from London Victoria or London Bridge only take 1 hour.

By Car:
You won't need a car to explore Brighton, but if you do choose to drive, there are some private parking spaces at the hotel which are available on a first come, first served basis and incur a fee.

By Air:
Fly to London Gatwick. The airport is 40 minutes away by car and 25-40 minutes away by train. London Heathrow is 70 minutes away by car or 90 minutes by National Express coach.

Detailed directions will be provided when you book through i-escape.